How to make Classic Australian Lamingtons

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When I was a little kid growing up in New Zealand, a trip to the local bakery was the highlight of my week. Peering into the cabinets piled high with delicious goodies, one cake above all others could tempt me. Lamingtons.

The 21st of July is National Lamington Day in Australia, so today I’m sharing my recipe for these delicious little cakes.

Table of Contents

Lamington cakes on a tray with raspberry jam and whipped cream

What are Lamingtons?

Lamingtons are squares or rectangles of light and fluffy sponge cake coated in a layer of chocolate and rolled in desiccated coconut.

Invented for Lord Lamington who was the Governor of Queensland from 1896-1901, these sweet little treats are one of Australia’s most famous recipes. Lamingtons are a beloved tea-time speciality in Aussie and New Zealand, and I know you are going to love them too!

Lord Lamington Governor of QLD. Image used under Creative Commons licence. — **Lord Lamington was a man of very fine tastes!**

Who invented Lamingtons?

As with many traditional recipes, some of the details of the invention of lamingtons are a bit hazy, though it’s likely that Lord Lamington’s French chef, Armand Galland, was the true creator of these cakes. Some stories say that he came up with the idea as a way of using up stale cake, while others have a maid accidentally dropping cake into chocolate.

(Though I do rather like the idea of Lord L. popping on a pinny and whipping up a batch for afternoon tea!)

A national icon

Lamingtons are so popular in their homeland that they have become a beloved national icon, often baked on Australia Day. You’ll find these sweet treats the length and breadth of the country in bakeries, bake sales, fairs and fundraisers.

Ingredients

Lamingtons are an old-fashioned cake, so you only need simple ingredients which are mostly pantry staples:

Eggs: I use medium-sized eggs which weigh approximately 63g (2.2 oz.) For the best, fluffiest results, use room temperature eggs.
Sugar and vanilla extract: To sweeten and flavour the vanilla sponge.
Flour and cornstarch: This mixture will give the cake a lovely, delicate crumb.
Butter: I always use unsalted butter in baking, as that way you can control the level of salt in the finished product.
Cocoa powder: Look for unsweetened, Dutch Process cocoa powder. This has a dark colour and a rich, chocolatey flavour which makes the chocolate coating absolutely irresistible.
Desiccated coconut: For rolling the lamingtons in.

The complete ingredient list and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Flour and cornstarch in a bowl with fresh eggs

Beaten egg and sugar in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment

How to make Lamingtons

There are two main stages to making lamingtons, making the sponge and dipping in the chocolate glaze.

First, make the sponge by beating eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy. It’s best to do this with an electric mixer or hand mixer so you can get as much air into the mixture as possible.
Next, gently fold in the dry ingredients and add the butter. Pour the mixture into a lined cake pan and bake until risen and golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack.
When the sponge cake has cooled, cut into cubes using a large serrated knife and freeze for an hour or two. (This will stop the sponge from falling apart when you’re trying to dip the lamingtons in the chocolate sauce and save your sanity).
Lastly, whisk together the ingredients for the chocolate glaze, dip the sponge cubes, roll in coconut and leave the coated cakes to set. Delicious!

Trimmed edges of a sponge cake for lamingtons

Variations

Lamingtons have changed a little bit since I was growing up, getting bigger and more over the top as the years go by. A classic lamington is simply dipped in chocolate and coconut, however, sometimes the sponge is sandwiched together with a layer of jam.

If you want to go for some seriously decadent lamingtons, cut them in half and serve them with a good quality raspberry or strawberry jam and plenty of whipped cream.

Sponge cake cut into cubes for lamingtons

Pro Tips

Sponge cakes are delicate things, so try not to leap around in front of the oven while the cake is cooking, put it in the oven and go and have a cup of coffee or tea instead of pacing around the kitchen.
I’m not going to lie to you, icing the lamingtons makes a mess, so prepare a nice clear working space before you start.
It’s best to keep the glaze warm (I put it on top of a pot of warm water) to that it doesn’t thicken as you dip the sponge.You can also give it a quick zap in the microwave to loosen it up again.
You will end up with extra chocolate icing, I keep it in the fridge or freezer and pour it over ice cream. (Yum!)
Work with the coconut in batches, changing it when it gets full of chocolate.
Always freeze the cake before dipping it, it makes it much easier to work with.